Prenatal exposure to the phthalate DEHP modifies the expression of pituitary estrogen receptors and affects reproductive physiology in the adult.

TOLEDO J; TORRES AI; LUQUE EM; GUTIÉRREZ S; PÉREZ P; MARTINI AC

Córdoba

Jornada; XX Jornada de Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; 2019

Estrogens, acting through Estrogen Receptors (ER) alpha and beta, regulate the pituitary hormonal secretion contributing to the modulation of malesexual function. Estrogenic signaling may be affected by the action of endocrine disruptors such as Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an anthropicproduct used in plastics manufacture, to which we are highly exposed by inhalation, digestive or dermal route. We proposed to analyze the effect ofprenatal exposure to DEHP on the pituitary ER levels and its impact on the reproductive physiology.Male Wistar rats prenatally treated with DEHP and maintained until sexual maturity were used. At 3.5 months, the body weight was determined andsubsequently the animals were sacrificed to quantify the expression of pituitary ER alpha and beta by flow cytometry, determine testicular weight,anogenital distance, sperm concentration and motility. Statistical analysis: ANOVA-Fisher.Our results showed that prenatal exposure to DEHP decreased the percentage of ERalfa + cells (57.23 ± 0.92% treated vs. 60.19 ± 0.29% controls, P